Chapter 206: Tradition and Turmoil

“Leader, what do you mean?”

Bai Ming noticed Ding Xiaoping had a spark of an idea and quickly asked, “What’s your point?”

“Think about it—over there, they’ve built an all-wood Tengwang Pavilion. Theoretically, Gan Province should be causing a fuss, but why isn’t it? And yet, the Qingming Scroll has topped the trending topics. Oddly, no one mentioned its true origins in Bian City. What’s the deal?”

Ding Xiaoping turned to look at Bai Ming.

“Why?”

“Because they simply couldn’t execute it, so all they can do is watch in frustration.”

“Exactly!”

Bai Ming nodded his strong approval.

To be honest, while I’m not overly impressed by Mingsha Tourism, their ability to recreate ancient architecture—especially pulling off the Qingming Scroll—is downright astonishing.

But the more Ding Xiaoping explained, the more baffled Bai Ming became. He couldn’t see how all this connected to restraining Mingsha Tourism.

“Did you know? H Country is holding a traditional culture expo at the end of this year. It covers nearly every field so they can showcase their culture and apply for heritage status.”

Ding Xiaoping sank back into his chair.

“A heritage application?”

Bai Ming’s expression shifted slightly.

“Yes. Before this, H Country even secured the Confucian Academy and the Eastern Medical Compendium as intangible cultural heritage. Naturally, this expo will benchmark many traditional cultures similar to those in the Long Kingdom.”

“I once chatted with an official who mentioned that to avoid future mishaps, the Long Kingdom might also hold its own traditional culture expo!”

“Now, with Mingsha’s Qingming Scroll debuting and their consistent traditional cultural route, if they actually host this expo, it’s almost a given that it will be in Mingsha County!”

“In the entire Long Kingdom, there simply isn’t a more fitting place.”

Ding Xiaoping added.

“Leader, are you saying that by year’s end the Long Kingdom might compete with H Country?”

Bai Ming began to understand Ding Xiaoping’s implication.

“Exactly!”

“So you want to use this opportunity to pin down Mingsha Tourism?”

“Exactly. Start gathering information from all sides—see if any government agency is hinting at similar news. If so, work on stirring up momentum for the expo.

This expo is a matter of national pride for the Long Kingdom. Mingsha Tourism won’t be able to ignore it! If they’re preoccupied, they won’t have time to produce films or TV shows. And if they fail in this cultural contest—well, they’ll be seen as traitors of the Long Kingdom!”

“Before long, not only will tourists stop flocking to Mingsha, but the operation might even be forced to shut down.”

“So, regardless of the outcome, we’ll have Mingsha Tourism tied up for the next several months.”

Ding Xiaoping narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Public opinion is a double-edged sword. Sometimes, trending topics bring huge benefits, but if backlash erupts, its impact can be enormous.”

“If that happens, Mingsha Tourism won’t have time for anything else.”

After a moment’s thought, Bai Ming nodded in agreement.

“Leader, what’s our next move? Do we wait it out, or…”

“Wait—and in the meantime, let the media heap praise on Mingsha Tourism. Force them to unleash all their trump cards. Once they’ve expended every advantage, let’s see how they plan the expo.”

Ding Xiaoping’s tone grew grave, “Releasing their trump cards too soon might tip off H Country. I’ve even heard from a friend there that their cultural department has taken notice of the top-tier traditional weddings staged at their sites.”

“Understood, Leader!”

“Exactly! That’s why the film festival should kick off only after this news is officially announced.”

“Agreed!”

As night deepened,

the nights at the end of March were no longer bitterly cold. Even after nine, tourists continued to pour along Qing Brick Avenue in Mingsha, especially drawn by the Qingming Scroll!

Once the lights came on, the crowds on both sides grew even denser, and with the early illumination of the city wall, the scene evoked the festive Lantern Festival of Song Dynasty Bianjing.

Indeed,

it only fueled the visitors’ excitement.

Some even remarked that spending any amount of money to enjoy Mingsha was totally worth it.

Besides that,

another group of tourists downloaded numerous images from Mingsha Tourism’s official website. Earlier that afternoon, they had released panoramic aerial shots of the Qingming Scroll. Originally, the plan was for tourists to compare the actual scroll, but instead, many were more interested in spotting themselves in the images.

They seemed even more meticulous than when counting the number of figures in the Qingming Scroll.

In Wudi City at the Ancient Building Courtyard, Xu Hao, Li Jue, Feng Wancheng, and other insiders had just returned.

Meanwhile, other officials who attended the inspection had retired early after dinner. They’d spent nearly the whole day on site, only managing to visit the Qingming Scroll and the Protectorate of West Liang; the other film IPs hadn’t even been seen.

Settled in the reception room, they brewed fine tea for Li Jue, Liu Shan, Cao Jun, Feng Wancheng, and Dong Liping, engaging in sporadic chatter.

Apart from Li Jue, Liu Shan, and Cao Jun who had dedicated rooms at the Ancient Building Courtyard, Xu Hao had also assigned Feng Wancheng and Dong Liping there.

“Xiao Xu, you really pulled it off!”

With no outsiders around,

Li Jue switched his form of address and gave another thumbs-up.

“Absolutely.”

The others echoed their admiration repeatedly.

Especially Feng Wancheng and Dong Liping. Although Mingsha Tourism had originally organized the ancient architecture culture forum, the ensuing buzz brought significant benefits to Su Province.

From now on, regardless of the season, Mingsha County will never lack tourists—plain and simple,

tourists are eager to see what the Qingming Scroll looks like throughout the year.

And with an influx of tourists, Wei City’s economy and GDP will naturally soar.

Sure enough, Mingsha is set to receive high praise from the top brass once again—and perhaps even rekindle old grudges regarding Xu Hao’s matters.

For those who once championed Mingsha’s urban development, it was a huge matter of pride.

“Dean, when you made that call earlier, I honestly had nothing else to do, so I had no choice but to build this.”

Xu Hao immediately responded modestly.

But modesty aside, Xu Hao knew well that if another person or company had been in his place, even with a bigger investment, they might not have pulled it off.

Now, his understanding of ancient architecture and traditional elements had grown to a degree that even he found a little intimidating.

“Back then, I just wanted you to pay attention. Who would have thought you’d zero in on the Qingming Scroll?”

Li Jue laughed.

“Exactly! Later today, when we speak with the experts, both Mingsha Ancient City and Mingsha Academy will be practically secured! After tomorrow, the process will begin in earnest.”

Cao Jun, from the sidelines, added in agreement.

“Mingsha Academy? Isn’t it the Ancient Architecture Academy?”

At that,

Xu Hao let out a long sigh of relief, though a hint of doubt remained.

“Ha ha, Leader, your display with the Qingming Scroll truly impressed the officials. Combined with the strong traditional atmosphere here, they felt that having only an Ancient Architecture Institute would be a waste. They immediately agreed to increase funding and expand academic disciplines.”

Cao Jun laughed.

“By the way, this academy isn’t just any private institution in the Long Kingdom—it’s an actual state-run university. All construction costs are covered by higher authorities, and the future faculty will have secure positions.”

“Moreover, after its construction, Mingsha Tourism will receive compensation for the transferred land lots and related fees.”

“In short,”

“Mingsha Academy’s standards are far higher than anyone imagined.”

“Once it’s completed, it will be integrated into the national unified enrollment system—not some ‘joke university’—and will be the only true university in Wei City.”

“That’s really great.”

Xu Hao beamed with pride.

“Whether it’s the Ancient Architecture Academy or Mingsha Academy, the bigger the scale, the better it is for Mingsha. Most importantly, once university students start enrolling, Mingsha will finally have a permanent resident base.”

After a brief discussion, Dong Liping, with a serious look, addressed Xu Hao.

“By the way, Xiao Xu, now that the Qingming Scroll is out, the Long Kingdom’s traditional culture expo at year’s end will almost certainly fall into your lap. You’d better start preparing well in advance.”

“After all, the significance of this expo cannot be overstated!”

At that, Li Jue’s expression turned serious.

“This expo is far more important than the cultural forum. This afternoon, an official called asking about the plans for the Ancient Architecture Institute.”

“Initially, I only caught a hint, but nothing was finalized. However, when the official called this afternoon, it was clear—they want Mingsha to take charge of hosting the expo.”

“Although I didn’t commit wholeheartedly,”

“from the perspectives of both the Ancient Architecture Research Institute and my own responsibilities, refusal wasn’t an option.”

“If Xu Hao were merely a businessman, that might be one thing,”

“but now he holds several positions with considerable rank. With the added duty as dean of Mingsha Academy, how could he refuse if the leadership insists on having the expo in Mingsha?”

“This afternoon, when Peng Bureau met me, he mentioned the matter and said we’d have a detailed talk later. I think we should first see what other renowned ancient cities in the Long Kingdom have to say.”

“If they’re not interested, then we handle it ourselves! Otherwise, if Mingsha takes on the project and something goes wrong, it could spark severe public backlash.”

Xu Hao thought for a moment before speaking.

“Mingsha Tourism is hot right now, but this matter involves way too many variables. If we succeed, it’ll bring glory to the nation; if we fail, we become scapegoats! Sometimes those who criticize you aren’t only enemies—they can come from within, too.”

“So, let’s be upfront from the start.”

“Yeah, Xiao Xu makes a good point. I’ll follow up with the leadership. If needed, I’ll suggest setting up two venues—either split East-West or North-South—given Long Kingdom’s rich traditional culture.”

Li Jue glanced at Dong Licheng and nodded.

“Exactly! After May, Xiao Xu will have to head the restoration of the 49 Imperial City. We can’t dump all the work on him; the higher-ups are aware of this.”

Liu Shan sipped his tea and added,

“Alright, Xiao Xu, when you speak with Old Peng later, also mention the restoration of the 49 Imperial City. Gather all the feedback and let the leadership decide!”

At that, Dong Licheng nodded in agreement.